Damage-proof soil sampler



April 2, 1968 E. MURATI DAMAGE-PROOF SOIL SAMPLER Filed May 9, 1966 IINVENTOR EFRAHIM MURATI ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent Office 3,375,891 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 3,375,891 DAMAGE-PROOF SOIL SAMPLER Efrahim Murati, G.P.0. Box 2948, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936 Filed May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,483 6 Claims. (Cl. 175403) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A longitudinally split tubular soil sampler capable of repeated driven insertion into the earth and ready core removal wherein the earth bit is integral with one split body segment, while the other body segment is detachably interengaged with both the bit and the first segment therein.

This invention relates generally to soil samplers, and more particularly to such samplers having means for gaining quick and easy access to the core or sample contained therein.

In general practice, soil samplers are tubular and are driven longitudinally into the soil to be sampled, then withdrawn and the cylindrical core or sample extracted for study. Extraction, in. some cases, must be effected by forcing the cylindrical core longitudinally from the hollow sampler, a step which often results in distorting and/or breaking up the sample.

One remedy for this difficulty has been to employ a split tube sampler as in US. Patent to Acker et al. 2,795,395. While this arrangement facilitates core removal without undue breakup, the threaded connection between the split tube and annular cutting bit sulfers deformation and damage under driving pressure whereby it becomes diflicult or impossible to unscrew the bit and effect separation of the split tube sections. Considerable waste of time and money also occurs when the damaged threaded connection in the sampler annular cutting bit separates from the split tube inside an exploratory boring, the bottom .part getting lost and preventing any further exploration on the boring.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a sampler having a minimum of parts and a maximum of strength to facilitate taking and quickly gaining access to the sample without disturbing it.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a split tubular sampler held in assembly at one end by a coupling or driving head, and, adjacent the other end, by longitudinally interengaging counterpart formations, whereby potential drive hammer damage is materially reduced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as it is 'better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a sampler embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away to aid in illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side view of two parts of the sampler about to be assembled;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken at 33 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken at 4-4 in FIG. 1.

The sampler 10, as shown, comprises a shoe or hit end 11, a coupling head 16 at the other end and a split central portion 12 including a lower segment 13 extending integrally from shoe 11, and a complementary upper segment 14 held in close engagement with the lower segment by axially interlocking means 15 at one end and by the coupling head 16 at the other. The head 16 is formed with an interiorly threaded portion 17 which engages exteriorly threaded neck portions 18, 19 of the segments 13 and 14, respectively.

When the head segments are fully assembled, a shoulder 21 on the head coupling 16 abuts a shoulder 22 on each of the segments.

At the end of segment 14, remote from its threaded neck portion, a semicircular projection or tongue 25 extends axially and engages within a semicircular rabbet or groove 26 formed in the shoe 11, and a shoulder 27 on the segment 14 abuts a shoulder 28 on the segment 13.

Preferably, the lateral edges of the segments 13, 14 are formed with tongue and groove counterparts 31, 32 (FIG. 4) which interengage to assure maintenance of alignment of the segment walls when assembled.

The forward end of the hollow shoe 11 is tapered at 35 and terminates in a circular cutting edge 36.

In use, the assembled sampler is coupled at head 16 to a drive rod and is driven into the soil in the usual manner causing a core or sample of the soil to be forced upwardly, past the cutting edge 36, into the tubular sampler where it is confined between interior walls 38 and 39 of the segments 13 and 14, respectively.

When the sampler is withdrawn from the soil, the coupling head 16 is unscrewed from the segments 13, 14, and the segment 14 is moved axially (to the right in FIG. 1) away from the shoe 11 to disengage tongue 25 from groove 26. The segment 14 is then readily lifted, as shown in FIG. 2, to separate it from segment 13 and uncover the soil sample or core within the sampler 10.

It will be particularly noted that with the cutting head 11 formed integrally with the lower segment 13, driving force from coupling head 16 is transmitted directly to the cutting edge 36 through segment 13 without being applied to interengaging surfaces, such as screw threads, subject to damage or misalignment. Further, the connection of segment 14 to head 11 is a simple directly abutting relationship at 27, 28 and likewise not subject to damage in the same manner as relatively more pre cise and complexly fabricated helical threads.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it is apparent that various changes may be made therein without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A soil sampler comprising a longitudinally split tubular portion terminating at one end in a neck portion,

a coupling head having means for detachably interengaging said neck portion, said split tubular portion being separable along a substantially medial plane and comprising a first segment formed with a transverse shoulder at the end of the segment remote from said neck portion, and having a tongue projecting longitudinally from said shoulder,

and a second segment having a tubular bit section integrally formed therewith at its end remote from said neck portion, said bit section having means interengageable with said first segment tongue upon axial movement thereof to retain said segments in tubular relation,

whereby said sampler may be driven into soil to obtain a sample thereof and subsequently quickly opened by detaching said coupling head and removing said first segment from said second segment and from interlocking engagement with said bit section to expose and free the soil sample.

2. The soil sampler of claim 1 wherein said tubular portion and said bit are cylindrical, and wherein further said transverse shoulder of said first segment is semicircular and abuts against a semicircular shoulder of said bit section interengageable means.

3. The soil sampler of claim 2 wherein said shoulders are normal to the longitudinal axis of said sampler.

4. A soil sampler as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tongue on said first segment is semicircular and substantially coextensive in arc with said shoulder and disposed radially inwardly thereof to engage radially inwardly of said bit section.

5. A soil sampler as set forth in claim 2 wherein the opposing longitudinal faces of said segments are interengaged by coextensive tongue and groove formations.

6. The soil sampler of claim 1 wherein said neck portion and said coupling head means include an interengaging threaded connection therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,022,472 4/1912 France 175-316 X 1,586,415 5/1926 Duda 175245 2,809,806 10/1957 Laval 175-4 10 2,795,395 6/1957 Acker et al. 175239 902,049 10/1908 BOnnell. 2,017,522 10/1935 Bailey et a1.

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner. 

